Pups Get Lost
It was a beautiful spring day in Adventure Bay, the perfect kind of day for pups to play. Outside the lookout, Zuma, Rubble, and Marshall were playing tag, but near the entrance, a certain German Shepherd was practically having an anxiety attack. "You're sure you've got everything?" Chase was circling Skye frantically, sniffing her backpack and poking his head into her helicopter. Skye, wearing her Pup Scouts uniform, giggled. "Don't worry Chasey, I double checked!" She gave him a lick on the nose, making him blush. Nearby, Rocky, also in uniform, was digging through his truck. "I've got the tents, sleeping bags, pup snacks, lots of water, and of course..." He jumped out triumphantly with a bag in his mouth. "Marfmallows!" Skye and Chase laughed as he tossed the bag back into his truck and shut the door. Ryder walked over and gave Rocky a scratch on the head. "You guys sure you'll be okay camping by yourselves?" The gray mutt nodded confidently. "We're all set to go, Ryder! We'll earn our independent camping badges for Pup Scouts in no time!" Skye did a flip and giggled. "And that means we'll be Senior Pup Scouts!" Ryder chuckled. "All right, I trust you guys. Be safe out there!" He petted Rocky and Skye in turn, then looked at Chase, who stood by with a worried expression on his face. "Don't worry, Chase. They know if there's any trouble--" "We can yelp for help!" Rocky and Skye cried in unison. The group laughed. Zuma, Marshall, and Rubble ran over, panting. "We'll miss you guys!" Rubble whimpered. "They'll only be gone one night, dude," Zuma said, giving Rubble a friendly jab in the arm. Rubble smiled sheepishly. "Don't forget your campfire safety!" Marshall said, wagging his tail. "Of course not, Marshall! You're such a good teacher, we could never forget!" She thought back to his frantic lecture earlier that morning, and giggled. Rocky looked at the sky. "It's past noon. We gotta get going if we want to set up camp before it gets dark!" With a flurry of hugs, licks, and head scratches, the pups and Ryder said goodbye. Rocky climbed into his truck, while Skye gave Chase one last nuzzle before jumping into her helicopter. "Let's take to the sky!" she yipped as she started her helicopter and rose into the sky. Rocky grinned. "Green means go!" His truck roared to life and pulled out of the lookout with Skye following close behind, leaving the rest of the Paw Patrol waving as they left. S''cene change - Skye's badge'' Rocky and Skye had found a clearing high in the mountains, and parked their vehicles. Skye unrolled the sleeping bags and set up the tents, while Rocky was in charge of setting up the fire pit. "Rawrf! Grabber!" he barked. His claw arm extended from his pack and he began using it to clear sticks and debris from the area. He had just finished nosing rocks into a circle around the pit when Skye yipped, "All done!" and gestured proudly to their tents. "I even got the buckets of water and sand!" "Great job, Skye!" Rocky said. "Once I get the firewood we'll be all set!" He set to work finding branches and kindling for the fire, with Skye helping. After a few minutes the two had built a respectable pile. "It's all set for tonight!" said Rocky. The pups looked upwards. "Gee, it's barely afternoon and we're all done setting up," Rocky mused. "Now what?" Skye gave him a devious grin. "TAG! You're it!" She bopped Rocky on the nose and bounded away laughing. Rocky shook his head and grinned, running after her. The two ran through the forest, dodging trees and hiding in bushes and behind rocks to surprise the other. It was a long time before the pups finally stopped, breathless. Rocky collapsed, lying on the dirt floor. "Hoo... ha... that was fun!" he panted. Skye giggled, though she too was panting. "I win, I win," she yipped, giving Rocky a gentle push. He growled playfully and pushed her back. The pair laughed as Skye fell back into a bush, causing a squirrel to shoot them a dirty look and scamper up a tree. Skye's face suddenly fell. "It's really dark in this part of the forest," she observed. Rocky nodded. "Yeah, how long were we playing?" Skye shrugged. "Let me fly up and see where we are. Yip! Wings!" she barked, and her silver wings popped out of her backpack. She jumped up into the air, but was surprised when she fell back down to earth. She tried again and again, before finally realizing the situation. "Oh no," she moaned, "I'm out of fuel for my jet pack!" Rocky looked worried, but he straightened up confidently. "Don't worry, we can find our way back!" He put his nose to the ground and began sniffing. Skye followed close behind, also sniffing. The two made their way in what they thought was the direction they had come, but they soon realized they were going in circles. "I know I've seen that rock before," Rocky said, frustrated. "My sniffer's not as good as Chase's!" Skye smiled. "Let's call him then! Let's call the Paw Patrol!" Rocky wagged his tail. "Great idea, Skye!" He pushed the badge on his collar, but instead of the familiar bleep it should have made, the tag flashed once and was silent. Confused, he pushed it a few more times, each time wondering why the tag remained quiet. Skye, seeing his worry, began pushing her tag as well, with the same results. "Rocky," the Cockapoo gulped, "we can't get a signal out here!" Rocky looked at her, visibly scared. "So what you're saying is..." The pups cried in unison. "We're LOST!" Scene change - Rocky's badge Back at the lookout, Ryder and Chase paced the floor while the rest of the pups played Pup Pup Boogie. Marshall and Zuma were in a heated battle, which ended abruptly when Marshall failed yet another tailspin, and bowled head over heels right into Ryder's ankles as Rubble and Zuma laughed. "What's wrong, Ryder?" Marshall asked the pair as he got up. Chase just kept pacing, muttering to himself, while Ryder sighed and looked out the window. "It's nearly sunset, and I haven't heard from Skye or Rocky. They promised to call me as soon as they set up camp." "Woah, you're right," said Marshall, eyebrows knitting in worry. "Do you think they're okay?" "I'm sure they are, but something doesn't feel right." Ryder sighed again. "They would never forget to check in." "What if they're NOT okay?" Chase barked suddenly, startling Ryder and the pups. "What if they got run off the trail? What if an EAGLE got them, or a bear, or a mountain lion? What if they're starving and cold and alone and scared and--" Ryder gave Chase a gentle pat on the head. "I'm sure they're fine, Chase," he said. "Don't worry. But maybe we should go looking for them. Paw Patrol, to the lookout!" At that, Chase practically sprinted into the open elevator, closely followed by Marshall. "Ryder needs us!" Zuma and Rubble yelped, pausing the game and running over to join Chase and Marshall in the elevator. The elevator ascended, and the pups slipped into their uniforms, Chase looking more frantic by the second. Marshall chose his EMT uniform, while Chase jumped into his super spy gear. By the time the doors opened on the top floor, he raced out and came to a screeching halt in his normal spot. "Ready for action, Ryder sir!" he barked, though his voice had an urgent note to it." Ryder grimaced. "Thanks for coming up, pups. We all know Skye and Rocky left for their camping trip this afternoon." Skye and Rocky's badges popped up on the screen. "But they haven't called to check in. I'm sure they're okay, but let's go look just to be sure." "Chase!" Chase's badge popped up on the screen, and the Shepherd snapped to attention. "I'll need you to use your super spy skills to find the campsite and track them down if necessary." "Chase is on the case!" he barked, fidgeting his front paws. "Marshall! I'll need you to check them out when we find them, to make sure they're not hurt." "I'm ready for a ruff-ruff-rescue!" the Dalmatian barked proudly. "Zuma and Rubble, I need you to help us search too. We need all paws on deck for this mission." Ryder said, as the other two badges joined Chase and Marshall's on screen. "What about Everest?" Chase inquired. "She's a mountain pup." Ryder shook his head. "She's on a mission tracking polar bears with Jake, remember?" The four pups nodded as they remembered. "All right! Paw Patrol is on a roll!" Ryder ran over and slipped down the fireman pole leading to his garage. The rest of the pups howled and barked as they went down the slide, Chase at the head of the pack. The pups' vehicles transformed and roared to life and they peeled out of the driveway behind Ryder, headed towards the mountains. Scene change - Chase's badge "Rocky, I'm getting scared," Skye whimpered as the two pups padded through the forest. The pair had been trying to follow their trail back to the campsite with no luck, and now the forest was dangerously dark. Each little snap of a twig or rustle of the leaves sent the two pups cowering next to each other, whimpering. Still, the two had bravely pressed on, determined to at least find a place where they could call the other pups. Suddenly, the pups heard the crack of a large branch. Their eyes widened as they pressed their sides together, looking around warily for the sound. Another crack, louder than the first, resounded through the forest, when suddenly-- "TIMBER!!!!" A husky female voice cried out through the night, and the pups screamed in fright, collapsing to the forest floor with paws over their eyes. A few hundred yards away, an extremely loud crack was heard, followed by a loud thud. Rocky and Skye, peeking between their paws, saw a faint light bobbing in the distance, headed straight for them! "Get ready to run, Rocky!" Skye whispered. "What if it's... a MONSTER?" Rocky huddled closer to her, shivering in fear, as the light drew nearer. The bushes rustled, and a dark pup-sized shape pushed her way through them. That was all they could see, however, since the shape's bright light had blinded them. Unable to see, or even move from fright, Rocky and Skye cowered together. "Please don't hurt us, miss monster!" Rocky yelped. The shape adjusted her light so it shone up into the canopy, sending a few bats fluttering into the distance. "Woah, man, chill out," the pup said. Rocky and Skye looked up and saw a tall tri-colored pup standing over them, wearing a green and black lumberjack-style hat and a heavy-looking hiking backpack with a flashlight in the side pocket. "I'm not a monster." Skye and Rocky giggled nervously, getting to their feet. "Sorry," Skye apologized. "We're just kinda... lost." The pup raised an eyebrow. "Haven't heard that one before," she deadpanned. Skye and Rocky blushed, scuffing the ground with their paws. "What was all that noise?" Rocky asked, taking in the pup's rugged appearance. "I was warning everyone to get away from the tree I just cut down. You're lucky it fell away from you guys!" Skye and Rocky blushed again. "We're really, really sorry," Skye said again. The pup's expression softened. "So, you guys campers, hikers, or what?" "Pup Scouts!" Skye said proudly, sticking out her chest to display her sash. "Earning our independent camping badge! Or at least we were... before we got lost." "Oh, for the love of..." The pup rolled her eyes. "If I had a buck for every time I rescued a lost Pup Scout I'd have a whole herd of deer." She took in the mutt and cockapoo's confused expressions. "No? Aw, you guys are no fun," she snorted. "Do you guys want help finding your camp?" The other two perked up and nodded frantically, wagging their tails. "Alright, c'mon then. By the way, my name's Aspen." Skye and Rocky introduced themselves, quickly following in her paw-steps as Aspen slipped effortlessly through the trees, her heavy paws crunching leaves and twigs as she went. She seemed to anticipate every burrow, every rock, every root, while Skye and Rocky often stumbled over them in the dark. The trio came to a clearing with a large pile of wood in the middle. In the light of Aspen's flashlight, they could see a freshly fallen birch tree lying off to the side. "Hang on, I gotta clear this. This was my last tree of the day." Aspen trotted over, shrugged off her pack, and bit down on a strong rope that was tied around the tree trunk. With a grunt, she pulled the tree slowly to the center until it rolled to a stop at the edge of the pile. Skye and Rocky watched in amazement. Aspen slipped the rope off the trunk and, with an expert flip of her head, tossed it into her open backpack. She trotted over to where the tree had fallen and picked up an axe, and dropped that in the pack too, before pulling the zipper closed and slipping it back over her shoulders. "Woah, that was so cool!" Skye yipped, running up to her. "Yeah, you're super strong, like Apollo the Super Pup!" Rocky cried happily as he followed, though his face fell when Aspen gave him a bewildered look. "It's all in a days' work. I work with the Park Service, helping cut down trees so the forest doesn't get overgrown. If there's too many trees, it's a fire hazard." She tilted her head towards the pile of wood, which Skye and Rocky realized was really a bunch of fallen trees! "The rangers come by later and pick up the wood, and sell it in town as firewood." "You really cut down all those trees yourself?" Rocky asked in amazement. Aspen nodded. "Yeah, it's a pain in the neck--literally-- but I like doing it. I like being outside all day." She cricked her neck for emphasis, and shook her head. "Come on, we should get moving. It's almost dark." Aspen trotted back off into the forest, flashlight bobbing as she went, and Rocky and Skye eagerly followed. Scene change - Skye's badge Ryder and the pups raced up the mountain, with Chase leading the way. As they neared the summit, the pack of vehicles slowed down and Chase began frantically sniffing the air. "Do you know where they were camping, Ryder?" he asked. "They said they would take Lone Tree Trail and find a clearing there. We're getting close. You can tell where the trail begins, because there's a huge redwood tree." "I see it, I see it!" Rubble yelped, pointing farther up the road. There, just before the road curved around to the other side of the mountain, the Paw Patrol could see a tree towering above the rest. Chase stepped on the gas and sped towards it, followed by the rest of the worried pups. A few minutes into the drive, Chase barked. "I see their trucks, Ryder!" He drove into the clearing where Skye and Rocky had set up camp. His truck screeched to a halt, and as soon as the engine was turned off, he leaped to the ground and began frantically sniffing. "This is definitely all their stuff, but they haven't been here in a few hours," Chase whimpered. "What could have happened to them?" Ryder shut off his ATV and gave Chase a scratch behind the ears. "Let's look at the positives. We know they made it here, and they set up camp. That means they must be somewhere nearby. They couldn't have gone far without their vehicles." "And they did a really good job on their fire pit!" Marshall said proudly, earning a chuckle from the rest of the gang. "I'm not sure how well my pup pad will work out here," Ryder said, frowning. "Let's stick together for now. I want all you pups where I can see and hear you. We can't take our vehicles any farther because the forest is too thick, so we'll have to go on foot." Chase whined. "But I have the best sniffer! I can find them quicker than anyone else!" "I know, Chase, but we can't afford to lose you too." Ryder gave the distressed police pup a pat on the head. "Don't worry, Chase, with all five of us we're sure to find them in no time! Why don't you find the trail to get us started?" With Chase's powerful nose working overtime, the pack quickly set off towards the east, following Skye and Rocky's trail. Every dozen yards or so, Chase would stop and lift his head, tail wagging, only to droop back down once he realized he had only smelled a deer or a skunk. Ryder and the pups exchanged nervous glances as the team's most disciplined member slowly began losing his cool. Though none of them wanted to say anything, they quickly realized they were going in circles, with Chase growing angrier and more frustrated with every dead end. The searchlight on his pack quickly became harder to follow as he ran around the trees, and the rest of the gang huddled together by the light of Ryder's dimmer flashlight, determined not to get lost. "Woah, what's that?" Marshall yelped, pointing into the distance. The pups squinted, and gasped when they saw a yellow light coming straight for them! "Please tell me that's Chase," Rubble gulped. Zuma shook his head and pointed off to the side, where Chase was circling a pine tree and howling in frustration. Ryder frowned nervously. "I'm sure it's someone who can help. Hello?" he called into the forest, towards the rapidly approaching light. "Who's out there?" There was a series of crunching noises, and the pups realized, whoever had the light was coming towards them even faster! Ryder steadied himself as Chase came to stand beside him, ears twitching intently, and the rest of the pups crouched warily behind him. After a few tense seconds, the yellow light briefly blinded them, and when the Paw Patrol looked back up, they saw none other than two familiar faces, a mutt and a Cockapoo, each wearing a Pup Scouts uniform, bounding through the trees. "ROCKY! SKYE!" the rest of the Paw Patrol exclaimed in a chorus of happy howls and barks. "Chasey!" Skye yipped, and tackled the Shepherd to the ground, licking his cheeks. "Skye!" he howled happily, hugging her tightly and nuzzling into one of her soft, fluffy ears. "I, I mean, we were so worried we would never see you two again!" Rocky looked up from the elaborate paw-bump he had been performing with Zuma. "We were super scared too! It got dark and we didn't know where we were, and we got SUPER lucky when we ran into Aspen!" "Who?" Chase asked, cocking his head. Skye blushed. "I totally forgot my manners. Guys, this is our new friend Aspen!" She ran back into the treeline and coaxed Aspen out, where the mountain pup shifted on her paws, obviously not used to the attention. "She's a forestry pup, and she found us and lead us back to camp! Or at least, she would've, if you hadn't found us first." Skye giggled and licked Chase on the nose. Ryder smiled and approached the pup, bending so she could sniff his hand. "Any pup who saves my friends is a friend of mine. Aspen, was it?" Aspen nodded, looking at Ryder warily. "Yeah, that's me," she chuckled. "It was nothing, really. Kind of a day's work for me." "Do you live up here?" Rubble asked as the Paw Patrol crowded around her, sniffing her and introducing themselves. "Yeah, I kind of bounce around a little bit. Since it's spring, I'm staying in a cabin so I can help the rangers thin out the forest before fire season starts." "AWESOME! You're a forest fire pup!?" Marshall sprang to the front of the group, tripping over his front paws and earning a laugh from everyone. He grinned sheepishly as he straightened himself up. "I'm a fire fighter pup, but I usually don't get to work on forest fires!" Aspen smiled bashfully. "I'm not really a fire fighter, but I do help out when the rangers need me. Mostly I just cut down trees, rescue lost hikers, and stuff." She nodded over at Rocky and Skye; the former was standing in the pack, wagging his tail, while the latter was pressed close to Chase, still trying to reassure the Shepherd that everything would be alright. "My brother wants to be a smokejumper, though. He's more into the fire rescue thing than I am." "A smoke jumper?" Rubble asked, tilting his head. "So he likes, jumps through smoke rings and stuff?" Aspen laughed. "Nah, it's a lot cooler. See, he--" She was cut off by a loud rumbling noise. The group looked around, fearful. "Was that a bear?" Zuma yelped, cowering behind Ryder's legs. Rocky turned beet red and smiled. "No, uh, it was my tummy. We kinda missed dinner." As if on cue, Skye's tummy rumbled too, and the rest of the pups and Ryder laughed. "How about we go back to the campsite and roast marshmallows?" Ryder suggested. The team cheered and began following Chase the short distance back to camp. Aspen smiled and turned to leave, ears drooping, but the group stopped when they realized she hadn't tagged along. "Aspen!" Marshall cried, and ran back over to her. "Aren't you gonna come with us? We wanna hear about your job!" The rest of the Paw Patrol nodded and yapped their agreement, and Aspen's tail slowly began to wag. "Uh, alright," she said, and the group cheered as she followed Marshall back into the pack. The group of eight-- seven pups plus Ryder-- made their way through the dark forest, a chorus of barks and howls, and bobbing flashlights, marking their way. Scene change - Paw Patrol badge "... take one down, pass it around, no more boxes of treats on the wall!" The pups' campfire song ended in a joyful howl from all seven pups. Aspen gasped for breath, laughing. "Oh man, you guys are the first group I've ever heard FINISH that song!" Ryder grinned and took a bite of marshmallow as he looked around the circle. Aspen and Marshall had launched back into a discussion on firefighting techniques; Rocky was entertaining Zuma and Rubble with an overly dramatic retelling of their evening in the forest; and Skye was safely nestled next to a dozing Chase, who had his head rested on her back. The campfire crackled and snapped in the center of their makeshift circle. The pups had elected to stay on the mountain and sleep under the stars on an impromptu camping trip, determined to help Skye and Rocky earn their independent camping badges. Tomorrow, the pair would return to Mayor Goodway's office to officially earn the title of Senior Pup Scouts. As the fire died down and the pups began snoozing, Skye yawned and trotted over to Ryder, careful not to wake Chase. "We're really sorry we cause so much trouble," she whispered, tail between her legs. "We should have been more careful and not left camp. And I should have double checked my fuel pack." Ryder smiled. "It's alright, Skye. You two made a plan to get back, stuck to it, and knew when to ask for help. That makes you excellent Pup Scouts in my book." He scratched behind her ears, and she gave him a friendly lick. "Thanks Ryder. It means a lot. Goodnight!" The cockapoo skipped back towards Chase and nuzzled up to the sleeping Shepherd. Ryder surveyed his pups. All were asleep, illuminated by the dying embers, except for one. Aspen sat alone, gazing at the stars. Ryder walked over to her and gently rested his hand on her head, startling the mountain pup. "Thank you for rescuing Skye and Rocky," he said quietly. "We might still be looking for them, if they hadn't found you." Aspen blushed. "It was nothing, really. I was out there for work anyway... it's sheer luck I heard them." She chuckled. "They're not really stealthy pups." Ryder smiled and scratched the top of her head. "They're really lucky to have found such a smart, experienced pup," he said, and Aspen ducked her head bashfully. The pair sat in silence for a moment before Ryder posed a question. "Aspen," he began, "we're always looking for helpful pups to join our team. Would you like to join the Paw Patrol?" "Wow," Aspen breathed, looking up at him and wagging her tail. "I mean, I dunno. Could I still keep my job? Ryder nodded. "Of course. You wouldn't even have to move off the mountain. It just means we would call on you for rescues when we needed you, plus maybe I could help out and get you a vehicle like these guys. And you'd always be welcome at the Lookout. I know all the pups would agree." Aspen took a deep breath, and looked around the fire at her newfound friends. The starlight lit up their sleeping faces, even the spot of drool hanging from Rocky's lip. She gave Ryder a big smile. "Alright, man. I'm in." "Awesome. We can talk tomorrow about the specifics. Right now, you should get some sleep." Ryder gave her one last pat on the head, and stood up. "Goodnight, Aspen. Don't worry, I'll take care of the fire." Aspen rested her head on her front paws, tail still wagging. She looked over at Marshall, asleep on his back, legs sprawled everywhere, and giggled. "Paw Patrol, huh?" she whispered. "I can do this." Her golden eyes closed, and, exhausted from the day's events, Aspen fell asleep. THE END AN: Thank you guys so much for reading my first Paw Patrol fic! Any constructive criticism is much appreciated. Look out for more Aspen stories in the future, this pup is just getting started! Category:Fanon Stories Category:Stories Category:Story Category:Fanon Episodes Category:Episodes Category:Episode Category:Fanon